Sablicious

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Here are some bullet points pertaining to the issues I have found with Rebellion shooter games over the years (SE4, NZA / ZAT, SB):

Incongruously non-interactive maps: Although the Rebellion maps have improved steadily in complexity and size, the strange interaction demarcation has become proportionally irritating -- examples: non-interactive doors and windows (to open/close); non moveable objects (beds, cupboards, tables -- to use as defilades etc.); inconsistency on otherwise interactive objects (one downpipe can be climbed, while other cannot).

Pointlessly corralled maps (esp. in survival / hordes type game modes): Despite the laudable overall size of maps, areas are often 'roped off' for no apparent reason. Now, I can understand this kind of restriction in competitive modes -- to mitigate 'unfair' camping or vantage points be abused. However, for co-operative play and / or "private" [online] game modes (and single-player), all dragging an invisible 'police line' around an otherwise [potentially] expansive map does is diminish the game experience, unduly reduce strategic options for players to avail and limit the 'emergent' gameplay possibilities.

Dumb-to-telepathic enemy scripts: The "A.I." in, specifically, SE games, spans suicidally dumb / 'I just got the point blank jump on you, but will sit there yelling for back-up instead of pulling the trigger', to inbuilt 'brain radar' / 'I can detect a 150M silenced kill from a location completely hidden from my cone of vision' omniscience. These infamously spasmodic enemy traits clearly impinges on immersion, fun and overall replay value. Moreover, the various bot settings really do not seem to make much difference (e.g., "Authentic Plus" enemy reaction is near-indiscernible from "Cadet" [in SE4]).

Unrealistic weapon damage: On one hand, if an "X-Ray" effect is initiated, the kill is guaranteed; but, without said stylised effect -- even if the enemy is hit between the eyes -- they can often shrug off the injury. All applicable Rebellion games need a mode where damage effects are more realistic/severe; and if that results in players are getting one-shot through organs, so be it. These games aren't made for casuals of children, and their difficulty should reflect this.

No option for enemy kills (of players) being viewed in "X-Ray" mode: If anything, the player's death should hold more significance than that of grunt #29831294812, and should, thus, have the option to be seen in said signature manner. I've had this pet peeve since the NZA games, and this seemingly obvious oversight has yet been addressed.

•in co-op player, any player could be permitted to enter a 'spotting mode', were an area of taget tagged on the map by the sniper, can be easily found via binoculars, and then fellow sniper/s aided (e.g., the 'diamond' aim assist could be in place for the spotter ;s binoculars and interplayed with the sniper's shots / bullet holes (also displayed clearly for the spotter) -- as to abet subsequent aiming calculations)

! swimming mechanic

• for traversing maps, escape and strategy; weapon wetness could affect weapons function for period of time after submersion

! air or artillery support for enemies being attack out of their effective retaliatory range

• e.g., if being sniped from across a ravine, eventual air / artillery support could force players to relocate or encourage stealth; could also circumvent the need for over-aggressive A.I. and its 'rushing' habits

! shooting / melee from hanging position

• adds strategy and a point to the hanging mechanics (see: Tenchu series)

• the game's co-op-centricity is such that it's a different beast entirely (i.e., orders of magnitude more enjoyable) with a partner than in solo (to say nothing of the 'spotter' side of the sniping ledger) -- thus, all means by which to accomplish this play model, should be provided for (*where possible); progression could be attached to characters specifically {as distinct from profiles only}, as it is done with individual weapons)

Overall, the game is heading in a positive direction. There are just some bugbears that keep it from reaching true AAA level greatness. Small things, for most part -- but in game that is all about millimetres, they're nonetheless very important and can be the difference between a great product and a good-ish one.

• could be an actually context interaction, that requires a moment to enter / exit (*risk / reward mechanic)

- heart rated effects [too] negligible

• vision should also blur momentary / take a short time to settle (through scope) at higher heart ratesl heart rate should stay high for longer (e.g., 30 ~60 seconds), once a certain high threshold (e.g., 90%) has been reached

- no encumberment on injured characters

• sprinting should not be permitted beyond a certain point of injury (e.g., 50%); aiming proficiency should decrease significantly, proportional to injuries sustained; near death, players should not be able to scope rifles and movement slowed to a 'lerch'

- no way in which to toss grenades around corners and trajectory line too obtrusive

•should be ten maps; many nice campaign areas un-availed; the available maps are mostly guerrilla warfare centric, as distinct from sniper-friendly

- Survival A.I. always gravitates towards player location

• this, irrespective of alert status or even a bullet being fired (*may be tied to limited map size, or...)

- once alerted, Campaign A.I. 'rushes' players from most of a map's region -- rendering many missions a game of surviving a 'wave' of enemies, then leading to an easy / easier objective

• can leave the mission targets exposed (for lack of remaining defences) -- should have either been unlimited waves / re-enforcements -or- A.I. should simply bunker-down after their numbers begin to thin -or- increasing difficulty in enemy spawns, to the point where its unwieldy to camp / attrite enemy

- bullet drop too accentuated

• ~3m in-scope drop from ~150m

- wind affects too accentuated

• no visual clue re-enforcement, as to the wind's direction / strenght

- wind direction meter 'arrow' too simplistic and more like a crutch

• an actual windsock, or the like, would have been preferable here -- something less 'rigid', more 'organic' and interpretable

- weapons upgrades too miserly and grind-heavy

• essentials, like better scopes, et al., could have been handled through in-mission / in-play loot items, then attached on the fly; shotgun use to unlock shotgun, is a silly design

• should be present--so as to assist in "authentic" configurations; could serve to simulate actually taking a magazine out to check remaining bullets (*an additional and separate item wheel function, that takes a moment longer to access -- simulating the time it may take to accomplish task in real life)

• negligible tangible effects; limited branching paths / combinations (more options and obvious effects, would have been preferred -- even if at the cost of some balancing de-buff)

± A.I. ebbs and flows from dumb to super sentient

•bat sonar ability to find players, only to then suicide rush in and kneel in the open, within execution range; cannot defuse any traps; armour does not charge the player, as its intended for, and acts more like target practise

± bullet cam in multiplayer

•better and more consistent that in the past, albeit with a haphazard "fast cam" function, that seems to work only randomly (*full slow motion cams still activate in MP with said parameter set to "Yes")

4. map knowledge is one of the keys to survival...suggest starting horde alone and run the board early.

Exactly. Horde maps are FAR too confined as it is and to make the even dumbed downER would ruin what's there. In fact, more and BIGGER (more open) maps are required in Horde to give the game mode some longevity... especially in light of the silly scoring system.

I'd actually like to see a system implemented where any area (between safe houses) in the main game can be used for Horde play. Even it this could only work (without extensive development) using generic enemy waves copy-pasted to the designated area, it would still feel far more diverse than the current set-up and it would also effectively give unlimited longevity through experimentation. Of course, scoring could be dumped for such a mode... or not; whatever's easier.

- Allow un-exploded mines to be deactivated and re-equipped (*Trip wires I can [sorta] understand remaining wasted once set, but mines should be easily retrieved if desired)

- Reduce ϟϟ boss explosion resistance (*x2 mines, x2 trip wires, x1 dynamite and a few shots not enough to take a single Dead Man's Bluff mini gunner down in solo play -- makes the map near unplayable alone)

- Sniper flyers should not return to the last perch where the last kill occurred (*It's only logical and makes the process less tedious and more strategic)

- Add that "Subway" (1-5) map with its subways tunnels and building(s) accessible for Horde mode (*The maps provided feel far too confined, especially for single-player play, and that subway map would make a great Horde area due its size and various camping positions. As it stands, Horde play promotes only shotgun and explosives use (shotguns ultimately, as the latter runs dry) and it essentially has to be played co-operatively if even a handful of waves are to be beaten, fundamentally due to how little distance a player can make between themselves and the enemy. 3-1 would also make an interesting Horde map.)

- Option to enable the setting off of one's own traps (trip wire / mines) and be damaged / killed by them (*Seems odd to be 'invisible' to traps one's clearly interfering with -- makes the player feel like an intermittent ghost!)